Pipe joints or couplings – Essential catch
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-01-09
Arola, Dave W. (Department: 3627)
Pipe joints or couplings
Essential catch
C285S308000, C285S319000, C285S091000, C285S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170886
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to conduit couplings through which fluid flows and specifically to a quick connector which retains a male conduit within a female receptacle.
In the automotive industry, as well as for many other industries, the need always exists for low cost, reliable and easy to assemble components. This need is especially apparent with respect to providing a connection between fluid conveying conduits, such as fuel, brake or refrigerant lines. Traditionally, such a connection is comprised of a male conduit being retained within a female receptacle through use of threaded fittings, flare fittings or through bolted on flanges.
More recently, a variety of snap together quick connect retainers have been used in place of the conventional methods. These quick connectors typically have a plurality of flexible legs which engage an annular bead attached to a male conduit and also engage an undercut groove formed within a female member. Two such examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,497 entitled “Swivelable Quick Connector Assembly” which issued on Jul. 22, 1986, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,203 entitled “Swivelable Quick Connector for High Temperature Connection” which issued on Oct. 18, 1988, both of which were invented by the inventor of the present invention and are incorporated by reference herewithin. Another quick connector is flat with pairs of annular arms extending therearound which are radially flexible. Other quick connectors which were invented by the inventor of the present invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,524,995 and 4,423,892, both of which are entitled “Swivelable Quick Connector Assembly” and which issued on Jun. 25, 1985 and Jan. 23, 1984, respectively, and are incorporated by reference herewithin.
While the aforementioned quick connectors present significant improvements in the art, each leg member of these devices must typically resist longitudinal pull out forces and must generate radial retention forces. Moreover, the legs are radially compressed during installation. Accordingly, in order to enhance the ability to either withstand forces in the longitudinal direction or generate radially directed forces, the part must often be compromised with regard to the other force perpendicular thereto. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a quick connector which can be easily installed and removed, is inexpensive to manufacture and which has separate segments for withstanding longitudinal pull out forces and generating radial retention forces, but which can be much shorter than conventional connectors by reducing the length inside the female portion of the connector to the length currently realized with threaded connectors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a new and useful quick connector is used to couple a male conduit within a bore of a female receptacle. The quick connector has a pair of waist segments, a shoulder segment, a body segment with an aperture therein, and a leg segment. The leg segment is defined by a pair of projecting elements which urge the waist segments radially outward for engagement with the female receptacle. The projecting elements are also partially compressible toward one another thereby causing the pair of waist segments to move toward one another for installation and disassembly. The aperture within the body segment engagably surrounds a portion of the male conduit.
The quick connector of the present invention is advantageous over the prior art quick connectors in that the waist segments and shoulder segment are optimized to withstand radially compressive insertion and removal forces while transmitting radial retention forces in association with the female receptacle. Concurrently, the body segment is optimized to withstand longitudinal pull out forces between the attached male conduit and the adjacent waist segments. Furthermore, the present invention quick connector can be easily assembled and disassembled from within the mating female receptacle, thus, providing an inexpensive to assemble system. This is accomplished by at least partially compressing the projecting elements of the leg segment toward one another thereby engaging and disengaging the quick connector from the mating female receptacle. Additionally, the present invention can be inexpensively manufactured. Also, the quick connector is operable with most conventional swivelable male conduits and with many traditional female receptacles, so as to convert the rigidly fixed conduit of conventional threaded connectors to a swivelling type connection. These quick connectors of the present invention have separated the springing radial requirement from the requirement to longitudinally abut a wall in the female receptacle. The quick connector of the present invention maintains the male conduit in alignment within the female receptacle thereby providing proper registry of a seal. The present invention is also beneficial since it allows the male conduit and female receptacle to incorporate longitudinally smaller sealing and retaining areas than those associated with traditional couplings. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Arola Dave W.
Harness Dickey & Pierce PLC
Proprietary Technology, Inc.
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